Fixed gun mount for airplanes



D. C. MAIER FIXED GUN MOUNT FOR AIRPLANES Filed NOV. 17, 192i iiilii Patented Dec. 2, 1924.

' DWIGHT 0. Ma ne, or BRYAN, oHIo.

FIXED GUN MoUNr ron AIRPLANES.

Application filled November 17, 1921. I Serial No. 515,802. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DWIGHT a citizen of the United States, residing at Bryan, in the county of lVillia-ms and State of Ohio,"have invented certain new and useful Improvements in .Fixed Gun Mounts for I Airplanes, of which the following is a specification. v This invention relates to mount for airplanes. v

An object of the invention is to provide a fixed gun mount-of simple and sturdy construction which can be readily and firmly a fixed gun secured to the fuselage of the airplane andtransmit the recoil stresses directly thereto with minimum vibration.

Another object of the invention is to afford convenient accessibilty to the principal parts of the installation without unduly interfering with the vision of the pilot or obstructing the controls of the airplane.

Other features of the invention promoting the strength, accessibility of the gun mount and convenience of operation of the machine guns mounted thereon will become apparent as the description proceeds.

The invention is described. in the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the gun mount.

F igure 2 is a part sectional view of one of the blocks for receiving a rear mounting post. v

According to my invention the gun mount is preferabl supported directly on the longrons of t e fuselage by means of a base having-U-shaped clamps or bracketsv 10 and- 11 which are adapted to fit over the longrons and to be detachably secured thereto by means of flanged spacing plates 12 and bolts 13 passing through the sides of the U-shaped clamps and through the flanges of plates 12. associated therewith bend the sides of the brackets 10 inwardly so that a clam ing'action is exerted on the longrons su cient to hold the gun mount firml in place. However, in order to add furt er rigidity to the base of the gun mount, the brackets 10 and 11 are integrally connected along the inner and upper sides of each upper longron by an angle plate 14. p

The front or. trunnion support consists of a tubular oke shaped member or bow 15, the arms 0; which are inclined upwardly C. Manna,

These bolts 13 and the nuts.

from opposite brackets 10. That part of the member 15 connecting the armsis substan tially horizontal and has secured thereon, in spaced relation, forward brackets 16 having transverseapertures 17' therein for receiving the usual trunnion bolts employed in mounting the trunnions of two machine guns (not shown). The bow or yoke-shaped member 15 issupported near each bracket 1 16 by means of tubular braces 18 which extend downwardly to the forward clamps 11. It

will be noted thatthis front or trunnion support is very r gid andis designed totake the greater part of theweightofthe guns and practically all of the recoil. The forces resultlng from the recoil are transmitted to.

'the base of the mount and to the longrons, principally by-the arms of the yoke-shaped member 15 which are substantiall lengthwise of the longrons so that on y simple stresses of tension or compression are transmitted by the gun mount to the fuselage. The angle plates 14 connecting the clamps 10 and 11 act to reinforce the longrons and directly absorb a portion of thesestresses.

The rear or elevating support consists of a short yoke shaped member 19 arranged substantially vertically and having its arms fixedly attached to the clamps or brackets 10. As shown in Figure 2, a block 20, preferably of steel is provided with oppositely projecting hollow bosses 21 which fit within the tubularmember 19 and are welded there to. This block is formed with a hole 22 of correct diameter to take the threaded stem 23 of the rear mounting post 24 of the machine gun and of suflicient length to prevent any lateral tilting of the post. Nuts 25, 26 engage the threaded stem 23 above and below the block and bear upon the upper and lower faces thereof to hold the stem in adjusted position. In the present instance two rear mounting posts 24 are supported on the short yoke shaped member 19 in correct alignment with the forward bracketsl'? but it will be understood that the invention may be used with equal facility as a mount for one or a plurality of guns, in which case the forward brackets and rear mounting posts should be symmetrically arranged on the forward and rear yoke shaped members.

Depending brackets 27 are secured to the angle plates 14 of the base and are suitably bent to provide stirrups 28 adapted to support the ends of a cross-bar 29. The ends of the cross-bar 29 are mainteinedin' the sti r-' rups by means of channel-shapedretainers 30, thefianges-of which nreconnected to I the bracket 27 hyboits 31; Clips 32' are rotatably mounted on the bar '29 and; serve as hingesupports for ammunition boxes 33;

A clip 34: mounted on the yoke-shnpedmem- I I ""ber '19 is adapted to receive one end of an adjustment rod 35' which, upon adjustment,- moves the ammunition box pivotally about the crossbar -29 to bring the feed chute,-

which is usually partof the box, in line with the feedyvay-of; the. machinegun;

' The rent, on elevating; support simply I holds the guns rm alignment vertically I and of the Weight oi the gunsand transmits the tubing I I and I brackets, are oxyacetylene .welded." The rigidity of: the structure as I Well as its firm connection to the fuselage reduce vibration to aminimum and: on an count 50f the novel arrangement of parts there is' no danger of destructive stresses being communicated to the fuselage.

Having. thus described my invention, I claim:

' 1. A fixed gun. mount for airplanes com prising a base, Ihaving forward and rear clam. mg members, a trunnion su rt and Y PP ane

prising a base, e'trunnion supportand an port and. said base, brackets; fixed to said base, end-cw cross bar mounted in-said brackets. I I v I I I I evating supportsecuredto the rearw' oiampingrmeinben, and braoesextending. be- I tween the :forwardclampingmember and" .saidtrunnion support. I 0 I 2.- A fiXed'gun mount for'airplanescom elevating support secured-to- 'said' b-ese, braces extendingbetweenthe trunnion sup 3. A fixedgun' mount as characterized in I claim 2, in combination. with an ammunition I I box, and means for pivotally eonnecting said box to the bar;

elevating support secured to: said. base, in

combination with an ammunition box, and

means for piVota-Hy: connectingsaid mnmunition'boxtohsaidbese. j I I 6.-Thecombination as speeifiedinclaim I1 I 5 inc1ud1:ng aoclip .secured'to said elevating I I 4. The combination as specified in'claim 3 and means for adjustingqthe ammunition box to'proper position- I I I E A-fixedvgun mount for airplanes comprisingabase, a trunnion support and an I support, and an: adjusting :rod connecting I I saidolip'and ammunition-box; I I

signature.

I I .DWIGHT G MAIER.

I I I In testimony whereof. I. have affixed I35 I I 

